Washing process and machine therefor



July 29, 1924. 1,502,852

R. HARVEY WASHING PROCESS AND MACHINE THEREFOR Filed Dec. l1. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 29. 1924. 1,502,852

- -R. HARVEY WASHING PROCESS AND MACHINE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 11, 192s 2 sums-she@L 2' Patented July 29, 192@ UNITED STATES WASHING PROCESS AND' MACHINE THEREFOR.

Application med December 11, 192s. .serial No. 679,945.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Etna, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Processes and Machines Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a -washin process and machine therefor, and more 1n particular to such a yprocess and machine intended to be used for washing tuberous vegetables, such as beets, carrots, potatoes, etc. l

The primary object of this invention is to provide a washing machine operating in accordance with my new process for washing great quantities of tuberous vegetables thoroughly and rapidly. Another object is to provide such a machine which automaticallyl discharges the washed vegetables.

further object is to provide a machine which is of simple and rugged construction and which can be manufactured at relatively low cost; Additional features and advantages .of this invention will appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

Fi 1 is a longitudinal section taken substantlally through the center of the washing machine.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fra entary perspective view showing the fee in end of the washing machine constructed for electric drive.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rotatingwash-drum used in the machine.

ig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing the preferred type of water spray nozzles used in the machine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the discharge end of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the discharge end of the wash-drum.

Fig. 8 is a fractional view showing one method of feeding the machine by means of a hopper and endless belt conveyor.

Fig. 9 is a cross section taken on linel 9 9, Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross section taken on line 10,-10, Fig. e.

Referring to the drawings, my washing machine comprises a water container or vat vat both ends. .This drum is supported on a shaft 9, traversing the spiders, and is held securely in position thereon by means of set screws 1.0 engaging the hubs 11 of the spiders. This shaft is mounted for rotation in the front and rear bearings 12 and 13 which are firmly bolted, or otherwise fastened, to the front and rear ends 14 and 15 respectively of the vat. `The shaft may be rotated in any suitable manner, such as by hand, belt drive or preferably by means of the electric motor 16 connected thereto by means of the Worm 17 and the gear 18, securely held on the shaft either by a key vor a set screw such as indicated by the numeral 19. Said shaft is also held against longitudinal displacement by means of said gear and a collar 20 placed at the rear end ofthe shaft and held thereon by the set screw 21. i

Position^d intermediate the spiders 7 and 8 are the lifting blades 22 disposed radially within the drum, and in the space intermediate the rear spider and the rear end of the wash-drum are the discharging blades 23 which are disposed within the drum at an acute angle with the circumference thereof, for the purpose of retaining the washed vegetables until they roll olf, by the force of gravity, upon a discharging trough 24 which communicates with the discharge chute 25 through an aperture 26 suitably 1 provided in the upper' part of the rear end of the vat.

The vegetables to be cleaned are introduced into the drum through an opening 27 placed adjacent the top of the front end of the vat. A chute 28 which, when not in use, may be folded over the cover of the vat, by means of the special construction illustrated in Fig. 1, is preferably used to facilitate. the feeding ofl vegetables to the washing machine. s shown therein, the chute is supported by means of links 29 hingedly connected at their upper ends to the hinge-lugs 30, fastened to the vat; said links being secured at their lower ends to the chute by means of-thepins 31, engaging the slots 32 cut in the sides 33 of the chute. These slotsare supplied to enable the extraction of the chute from the vat prior to folding it over the vat-cover. A stop-lug 34 is also shown fastened to the underside of the chute for the purpose of limiting the movement of the latter into the vat and drum. The vegetables may be shovelled directly onto the chute, or else into a hopperbin 35 placed above the end of the chute.

The water for washing is led into the vat by means of a supply pipe 36, connected to the water main, and divided in two or more branches 37 and 38 supported by the front end of the vat and supplied with the necessary and usual fittings shown in Fig. 3; said branches terminating at their inner ends with the horizontally disposedv flat nozzles 39, from which a sheet-like spray of water is discharged .across the drum. The amount of water in the vat is determined by .the over-flow pipe connection 40 which is situated at a suitable distance below the nozzles. The bottom of the vat is inclined towards the front end to enable the drainage of the muddy water through the drain plug 41. As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 6, the discharge-chute is partly closed at its outer end by an apron 4g; this is done to prevent excessive splashing of the water and to limit the bounding of the discharged vegetables.

The feeding mechanism shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, represents one of the many alternative constructions which might be employed to serve the vegetables into the washing machine. lt comprises a receiving hopper 43 discharging into the open trough 44 at the bottom of which operates the conveyor belt 45 running over the rollers 46 and 47 the shafts 48 of which are mounted in the bearing supports 49 secured on the base board 50 fastened to the front end of the vat by means of the angle support 51 and the braces 52. The motlve power for the conveyor may be applied to either one of the roller shafts in any suitable and desired manner, to cause the conveyor belt to move il? the direction indicated by the arrows in Having thus described the essential parts of the washing machine, its mode of operation will be readily understood and 1s as follows:

When vegetables are to be washed, the drum is first rotated and the water supply turned on. The vegetables are then intro duced into the drum, either by means of a chute or conveyor, where they will be agitated and. carried up bythe liftin blade until they roll off them to fall back into the water at the bottom of the vdrum and vat. By so falling, the vegetables will come in direct contact with the horizontal water sprays issuing from the nozzles 39 and be driven forward by the impact, which at the Lacasse same time imparts a revolving motion to the vegetables around their own axis. The former are thereby subjected to the combined action of the water in the vat and from the nozzles and to combined rotating and forward movements, so that when they reach the rear end of the drum they are perfectly clean and ready to be emptied by the discharge-blades onto the discharge-trough 24 and thence through the discharge chute into baskets or other containers. It will be seen that the e'ect of the horzontal sprays in the relative positions indicated above is of great value and it forms one of the principal features of this invention.

1n the above description mention has been made of the use of this washing mach'rne for tuberous vegetables; but it will be readily understood that the machine could be used for washing other goods, such as bones, animal fats, etc.

`While l have illustrated and described herein the preferred embodiment of my in- Vention, and one which I have found by actual use to be very practical and efcient, it may be found desirable after continued eX- perience to make slight changes in the construction and arrangement of the details of my invention, and l intend to include in this application all such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. The process of washing vegetables which consists in causing them to fall Ithrough sheet-like sprays of water disposed substantially at right angles to the path of said falling vegetables and collecting them in a body of water.

2. The process of washing vegetables which consists in causin them to fall repeatedly through sheet-li e sprays of water disposed substantially at ri ht angles to the path of said falling vegeta les thereby imparting to the latter a combined gyratory and linear motion, and collecting said vegetables in a body of water.

3. In a vegetable washing machine of the character described, a water container; a drum revolubly mounted therein and open at both ends; a plurality of longitudinally and radially dlsposed blades ositioned within said drum and rotatin t erewith; longitudinally and angularly isposed discharging blades secured inwardly to the discharging end of said drum; means to introduce vegetables in said drum; means to discharge said vegetables therefrom; a supply of running water and means to inject a plurality of water sprays into said water container and above the level of the water stored therein.

4. In a vegetable washing machine of the character described, a water container; a drum revolubly mounted therein and open at both ends; a plurality of longitudinally Lacasse and radially disposed blades ositioned within said drum and rotatin t erewith; longitudinally and angularly disposed discharging blades secured inwardly to the discharging end of said drum; means to introduce vegetables in said drum; means to discharge said vegetables therefrom; a supply of runnin Water and a plurality of nozzles positionedg above the level of the Water stored in said container for injecting substantially horizontal sprays of water thereover. i

5. In a vegetable washing machine of the character described, a water container; a drum revolubly mounted therein and open at both ends; a plurality of longitudinally7 and radially disposed blades positioned within said drum and rotatin therewith; longitudinally and an larly isposed discharging blades secure inwardly to the discharging end of said drum; means to introduce vegetables in saidfdrum; means to discharge said vegetables therefrom; a supply of running Water and a pluralit of flattened and horizontally disposed nozz es positioned above the level of the water stored in said g Within said drum and rotating therewith;

longitudinally and angularly disposed discharging blades secured inwardly to the discharging end of said drum; means to introduce vegetables in said drum; means to discharge said vegetables therefrom; a supply of running Water; a plurality of flattened and horizontally dis osed nozzles positioned above the level of tlie water stored in said container for injecting substantially sheetlike sprays of water thereover; automatic means to maintain said level of water in said container, and means to drain said Water therefrom.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

Y RALPH HARVEY. 

